Unit 43 Biggs
Wheat-plateau and river-canyon unit holding some of Oregon's healthiest California bighorn herds.
North-Central Oregon — Deschutes/John Day canyons · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,972
sq mi
Public land
9%
approx.
Elevation
160–3,600
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 43 (Biggs) is a roughly 1,970-square-mile block of north-central Oregon rolling across the dryland-wheat plateaus of Sherman, Wasco and Gilliam counties, bounded on the north by the Columbia River and dropping into the deep basalt canyons of the Lower Deschutes River on the west and the Lower John Day River on the east. Only about 9% of the unit is publicly accessible — the rest is private wheat ground and range — so the two river canyons and the ODFW Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area carry most of the public hunting. It is best known for California bighorn sheep, with hundreds of sheep in the Deschutes and John Day canyons ranking among the strongest herds in the state, plus solid mule deer, a modest elk presence, and canyon-rim pronghorn.
Terrain
High, gently rolling wheat and range plateaus dissected by two of Oregon's most dramatic river canyons. The Deschutes and John Day rivers carve deep, steep-walled basalt trenches down to near sea level at the Columbia, with talus slopes, rimrock benches and side-canyon breaks; the tablelands between them are broad and open.
Cover: Dryland wheat and fallow fields dominate the plateaus, grading into bunchgrass and big-sagebrush range; the canyon walls carry sparse grass, sage and scattered western juniper, with willow, alder and cottonwood along the river bottoms.
Landmarks: Lower Deschutes River canyon (west boundary) · Lower John Day River canyon (east boundary) · ODFW Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area · Columbia River (north boundary) · Shaniko / Grass Valley wheat plateau · Cottonwood Canyon State Park (John Day) · Maupin and the Deschutes recreation corridor
Access
ODFW lists the unit at only about 9% publicly accessible — the plateaus are almost entirely private wheat and range requiring landowner permission or an Access & Habitat/travel-management agreement. The bulk of public opportunity is in the Deschutes and John Day river canyons (BLM, ODFW wildlife area and state park lands) and along the Columbia. Boat access is a real advantage on both rivers; many canyon benches are only practically reached by floating in or hiking from limited road ends.
Managers: Private dryland-wheat farms and ranches (majority), ODFW - Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area, BLM (Prineville District - canyon lands), Oregon State Parks (Cottonwood Canyon, Deschutes River corridor)
Access points: Deschutes River access at Maupin and Sherars Falls (Hwy 216) · Deschutes mouth / Heritage Landing near the Columbia (I-84) · John Day River at Cottonwood Canyon State Park (Hwy 206) · John Day mouth near Rufus/LePage on the Columbia (I-84) · County roads off Hwys 97, 197, 206 and 218 to the plateau edges
Species notes
Bighorn Sheep
common trophyThe signature animal of Unit 43. California bighorn thrive in the Lower Deschutes and Lower John Day canyons — ODFW summer surveys have counted roughly 300 sheep on the Deschutes and 340-plus on the John Day, part of some of the healthiest bighorn herds in Oregon. Tags are once-in-a-lifetime and extremely hard to draw, but a drawn Biggs sheep tag is a premier Oregon hunt.
- →Glass the rimrock, talus slopes and canyon benches at first and last light from the opposite rim
- →Float the river or work road ends to reach benches sheep hold on year-round
- →Rams often use the steepest, most broken bluffs — pick apart the rock methodically with a spotting scope
- →Coordinate with ODFW district biologists on recent survey locations and disease-monitoring notes
- →Treat a drawn tag as a multi-week campaign; scout the specific canyon reach hard before the opener
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer are common unit-wide and Biggs holds good numbers, with mature bucks using the canyon breaks and wheat-edge cover. Deer hunting is controlled (draw), and access to private wheat ground is the main constraint — the canyons and public parcels hold huntable numbers of quality bucks.
- →Hunt the canyon breaks, rimrock benches and juniper draws where deer bed off the open plateaus
- →Glass wheat-stubble and CRP edges at dawn and dusk where bucks feed at field margins
- →Secure private-land permission early or focus on the Deschutes/John Day canyon public ground
- →Still-hunt the folds and side draws of the river canyons during midday
Pronghorn
limited opportunityPronghorn use the open bunchgrass and sage flats and wheat-fallow margins of the plateaus, with modest numbers along the southern and eastern tablelands. This is a limited-entry opportunity hunt rather than a destination antelope unit, and much of the antelope range sits on private ground.
- →Glass the open flats and fallow fields from rises and rim edges early and late
- →Work the sage-range fringes between wheat blocks where bucks hold
- →Plan long, open-country stalks using terrain folds and rims for cover
- →Private-land access is usually the deciding factor — arrange permission ahead of the season
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk are present in modest numbers — ODFW references a few hundred head using the canyon country and wheat-ground fringes. Biggs is not a primary elk unit; herds are scattered, often on private ag land, and tags are limited-entry opportunity.
- →Focus on the Deschutes and John Day canyon breaks and adjacent CRP/wheat ground where elk shelter
- →Glass canyon rims and side draws at dawn; elk move to feed on private field edges
- →Locate a herd's private-vs-public pattern before the hunt and hunt the public seams
- →Be mobile — small bands range widely across a big, broken landscape
Black Bear
transient lowBlack bears are a marginal, transient presence in this dry canyon-and-wheat country. ODFW offers a spring controlled bear opportunity, but bears are uncommon and encounters are incidental rather than a reason to choose the unit.
- →Concentrate on the brushier river-canyon bottoms and any green riparian corridors
- →Glass canyon slopes and draws at dawn and dusk in spring
- →Treat bear as an incidental add-on to a canyon deer or sheep scout
Cougar
limited opportunityCougars follow the deer and bighorn herds through the canyon breaks and rimrock. Densities are low across the open plateau country, and cats are typically taken incidentally or by hunters cutting fresh sign in the canyons.
- →Cut tracks in snow along canyon rims and bottoms and around deer concentrations
- →Focus on the broken Deschutes and John Day canyon country where prey holds
- →Glass rimrock and predator-call in the side canyons during winter
- →Treat as an opportunistic add-on to a deer or winter scouting trip
Pro tips
- →A drawn bighorn tag here is a premier Oregon hunt — the Deschutes and John Day herds are among the state's strongest; scout the exact canyon reach and talk to ODFW biologists
- →Public ground is scarce (about 9%) and concentrated in the river canyons and the Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area — plan around the water, not the plateaus
- →A raft or drift boat is a genuine tactical advantage for reaching sheep and deer benches deep in the canyons
- →Lock down private wheat-ground permission well before the season for deer, elk and antelope on the tablelands
- →Glass from opposite rims — the canyon walls let you cover huge stretches of bighorn and deer country from a single vantage
Watch out for
- !Very little public land (~9%); most of the plateau is private wheat requiring permission — verify boundaries with a current parcel/GPS layer
- !Deep, steep basalt canyons demand fitness and care; loose talus and rimrock are hazardous
- !River corridors carry heavy recreational float/fishing traffic in season and have their own access and boating rules
- !Bighorn tags are once-in-a-lifetime, near-zero-odds draws — plan for long point accumulation
- !Canyon and farm roads become impassable mud after rain; wind and heat are serious factors on the exposed plateaus
Logistics
Services are thin across the wheat country: Maupin, Grass Valley, Wasco and Moro offer basic fuel and supplies, with fuller services in The Dalles to the west or along I-84 at Arlington and Biggs Junction. Cell coverage is decent on the plateaus and near the interstate but drops out in the deep river canyons. The Deschutes and John Day corridors are popular float/fishing destinations, so summer and fall see recreational river traffic; a drift boat or raft opens up canyon benches that are otherwise a long hike from limited road ends.
Nearest towns: Maupin, OR, Grass Valley, OR, Moro, OR, Wasco, OR, Arlington, OR, Shaniko, OR, The Dalles, OR
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Oregon sources:
Research sources: ODFW - Biggs Unit 43 · ODFW - Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area Management Plan (bighorn context) · TRCP - Field Notes from the Deschutes: California Bighorn Sheep · GoHunt - Oregon Unit 43 Biggs Profile
FAQ
- How big is Unit 43 in Oregon?
- Unit 43 (Biggs) covers about 1,972 square miles, ranging from roughly 160 to 3,600 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 43?
- Approximately 9% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private dryland-wheat farms and ranches (majority), ODFW - Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area, BLM (Prineville District - canyon lands), Oregon State Parks (Cottonwood Canyon, Deschutes River corridor). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 43?
- Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Rocky Mountain Elk, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Oregon agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 43 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.